If you’re looking to whet your child’s appetite for the great outdoors, look no further than Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a day’s drive for most residents of the eastern half of the country. We drove to Tennessee and spent four days exploring the park and enjoying the nearby attractions this past May.

I’ll admit I was a bit anxious to take my son on narrow, steep, winding trails. I’ll also admit I was more than a little nervous about running into a Black Bear. Despite my nagging concerns, I put on my brave face, strapped on my hiking sandals and we were off!

Here is a brief overview of the three kid-friendly hikes we did on our visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Grotto Falls

Grotto Falls

Of the three hikes we did during the trip, this one made me the most nervous. The path is fairly narrow and features steep drop offs, abundant tree roots and rocky terrain. While this may have been fun for my son, who loved hopping from rock to rock, my husband and I found the terrain to be nerve wracking.  Thankfully we were rewarded with a spectacular 25 foot high water fall at the end of the trail. Hikers can walk behind the water fall and see the backside of water.
Location: Access via Trillium Gap Trail off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. There is a large parking area adjacent to the trail head.
Roundtrip distance: Approximately 2.6 miles
Tips: Get here early in the day to avoid crowds.  Despite the large parking area, many visitors parked along the narrow road just after the parking lot.

Laurel Falls

I was more at ease on this hike. For one thing, the trail is paved and provides fewer opportunities for tripping and catapulting to certain death. I think we may have even let go of my son’s hand a few times! Instead of jumping from stone to stone, as he did on the Grotto Falls hike, my son insisted on clambering up the rock outcroppings that pepper the side of the trail.
Location: Access via Laurel Falls Trail off of Little River Road. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the trail head.
Roundtrip distance: Approximately 2.6 miles
Tips: Strollers and wheelchairs are not permitted. There is limited parking, so visit this trail early in the day.

Clingmans Dome

Last but not least, at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is highest point in the park and the highest point in Tennessee. Visitors enjoy 360° views from the observation tower at the end of the paved path. We visited Clingmans Dome on a cloudy, chilly day. The view was impressive, however, I wager it would have been even more so if we had visited on a clear day.

On paper, the hike to Clingmans Dome appears to be the easiest of the three hikes. We quickly discovered that looks can be deceiving: the steep 1/2 mile path proved too much for my son. He requested frequent stops along the way and even laid down once or twice.
Location: Access via Clingmans Dome Road.  There is an enormous parking lot adjacent to the trail head.
Roundtrip distance: 1 mile
Tips: Strollers and wheelchairs are not permitted. The road leading to Clingman’s Dome is closed December 1-March 31 and as dictated by weather conditions.

While we devoted an entire trip to visiting the area attractions, Great Smoky Mountains National Park would be a great way to break up a road trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. If you’re driving from the Midwest, consider setting aside a day or two to explore this majestic park!

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